St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-11-27
Total. e. l2299764434 435 L 6 0l6797541O
Total in 6l2626S90l9552 64SOUlSO925


! Total in OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
The cut of lumber the year just past
| is 90. G62.576 feet below that of last year,
, as may be seen by the above figures,
but this shortage is easily explained. In
the first place the river was very low,
| and it was late in the season before the
| mills started up. Then there was a
scarcity of logs, owing. to the many
| million feet being hung mp. on the Mis-
SisSippi and Rum rivers and nearly
every tributary. Next, three or four
mills discontinued business, and later
on five were destroyed by fire. This
lowered the cut very materially. but
aided in strengthing prices, which have
ruled strong and firm. One or two of
the mills have been running night and
day, and their cut was tremen d0us. Be
fore the mills shut down for the season
various lumbermen estimated the cut at
from 200.000,000 to Dos, 100000 There is
not now an extra large quantity of lum-
Der on hand at any of the mills, the con-
sumption having been so great. This
demaTd came from all points. but
mainly from the West, Southwest and
local points. The BUSINESS of the East,
which has heretofore played an import
ant part, has dwindled to almost
nothing, in consequence of the interstate
commerce law which made the rates so
high that Minneapolis lumbermen
could not afford to. ship to points east.
The low differential rates gave the Wis
cOnsin men a big advantage, and they
improved it. Railway bill stuff, for
western building, was in excellent de-
mand, and this, with the local trade,
has given the lumber firms here nearly
all they cared to attend to. A vast
amount of lumber was used in paving
and in erecting new elevators and other
new buildings.
Many of the lumbermen claim that
the year just past has been the best for
several years. that is in general way.
Prices were higher, owing to the in
creased demand and the decreased pro-
duction. The production has decreased
every year for three years past, owing
to shortage of logs and several firms
going ont of business But on
the whole the lumbermen are per-
feetly satisfied and say they have no
fault to find. The lumber produced
has been of a good quality. much better
In fact than last year. The prospects
for a big cut next year are very fiatter-
ing, and the lumbermen are iubilant.
There will be plenty of logs, and if
there is enough water all the mills will
start as soon as the ice is out of the
river. There are now enough logs in
the various bOoms to run the mills for a
short time. and these will be used the
first thing in the spring, before the new
ones come down. The years log cut
was the same as the year previous on
Mississippi river. but on the Rum
river it was considerably smaller, owing
principally to shortage of timber. In
1885 there was about 55,000,000 feet cut,
while last year it amounted to only
22.000, 600. On the Rum river only about
half of the logs cut came down. on ac-
count of the low water-there not being
enough to float them The amount cut
and brought down this year will be
largely in excess of that of last year, as
all the logs that are now hung up on
the Rum river will be sent down.